View Intelligence Dossier Back to 2008 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Internet country code [time series]

.gd

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

9 (2008)

Internet users [time series]

23,000 (2007)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 2, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: automatic, islandwide telephone system domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links international: country code - 1-473; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

27,700 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

46,200 (2006)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

2 (1997)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables

Budget [time series]

revenues: $85.8 million expenditures: $102.1 million (1997)

Central bank discount rate [time series]

6.5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

9.76% (31 December 2007)

Exchange rates (Currency (code)) [time series]

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Current account balance [time series]

-$138 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external [time series]

$347 million (2004)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange, especially since the construction of an international airport in 1985. Strong performances in construction and manufacturing, together with the development of an offshore financial industry, have also contributed to growth in national output. Grenada has rebounded from the devastating effects of Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Emily (2005), but is now saddled with the debt burden from the rebuilding process. The agricultural sector, particularly nutmeg and cocoa cultivation, has gradually recovered, and the tourism sector has seen substantial increases in foreign direct investment as the regional share of the tourism market increases.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

144.2 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

167.2 million kWh (2006 est.)

Exchange rates [time series]

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)

Exports [time series]

$38 million (2006)

Exports - commodities [time series]

bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace

Exports - partners [time series]

Jamaica 92.8%, Saint Lucia 1.3%, US 1.2% (2007)

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$590 million (2007 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]

$1.108 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 5.4% industry: 18% services: 76.6% (2003)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$10,500 (2007 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

3.1% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$343 million (2006)

Imports - commodities [time series]

food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel

Imports - partners [time series]

Trinidad and Tobago 36.5%, US 23.3%, Italy 4.1% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

0.7% (1997 est.)

Industries [time series]

food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3.7% (2007 est.)

Labor force [time series]

42,300 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 24% industry: 14% services: 62% (1999 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$NA

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Oil - consumption [time series]

2,043 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports [time series]

1,844 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves [time series]

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$575.8 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money (Stock of money) [time series]

$151.2 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money (Stock of quasi money) [time series]

$533.4 million (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate [time series]

12.5% (2000)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 344 sq km land: 344 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

twice the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

Coastline [time series]

121 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

12 07 N, 61 40 W

Geography - note [time series]

the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

Irrigated land [time series]

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 5.88% permanent crops: 29.41% other: 64.71% (2005)

Location [time series]

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November

Natural resources [time series]

timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors

Terrain [time series]

volcanic in origin with central mountains

Total renewable water resources [time series]

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick

Capital [time series]

name: Saint George's geographic coordinates: 12 03 N, 61 45 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution [time series]

19 December 1973

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Grenada

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada embassy: Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint George's mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1177 FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Denis G. ANTOINE chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561 FAX: [1] (202) 265-2468 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Carlyle Arnold GLEAN (since 27 November 2008) head of government: Prime Minister Tillman THOMAS (since 9 July 2008) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side), with a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow, five-pointed stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg, after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven administrative divisions

Government type [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Independence [time series]

7 February 1974 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Judicial branch [time series]

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of a court of Appeal and a High Court of Justice (a High Court judge is assigned to and resides in Grenada)

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (13 seats, 10 appointed by the government and 3 by the leader of the opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 8 July 2008 (next to be held in 2013) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDC 11, NNP 4

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 7 February (1974)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Gloria Payne BANFIELD]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Tillman THOMAS]; New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

Committee for Human Rights in Grenada or CHRG; New Jewel Movement Support Group; The British Grenada Friendship Society; The New Jewel 19 Committee

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when COLUMBUS discovered the island in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century. The French settled Grenada in the 17th century, established sugar estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves. Britain took the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production. In the 19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In 1967, Britain gave Grenada autonomy over its internal affairs. Full independence was attained in 1974, making Grenada one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere. Grenada was seized by a Marxist military council on 19 October 1983. Six days later the island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. Free elections were reinstituted the following year and have continued since that time. Hurricane Ivan struck Grenada in September of 2004 causing severe damage.

Military

Manpower available for military service [time series]

males age 16-49: 27,309 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

males age 16-49: 20,249 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually [time series]

male: 1,034 female: 970 (2008 est.)

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2007)

Military expenditures [time series]

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 32.4% (male 14,725/female 14,524) 15-64 years: 64.7% (male 30,911/female 27,502) 65 years and over: 3% (male 1,310/female 1,371) (2008 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

21.61 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.31 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

5.2% of GDP (2003)

Ethnic groups [time series]

black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and East Indian 5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 13.58 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Languages [time series]

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 65.6 years male: 63.74 years female: 67.47 years (2008 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: NA female: NA (2003 est.)

Median age [time series]

total: 22.4 years male: 22.9 years female: 21.9 years (2008 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Grenadian(s) adjective: Grenadian

Net migration rate [time series]

-11.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population [time series]

90,343 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.406% (2008 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 12 years (2005)

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.27 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

none

Illicit drugs [time series]

small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US

Transportation

Airports [time series]

3 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

Saint George's

Roadways [time series]

total: 1,127 km paved: 687 km unpaved: 440 km (2000)